Speil Mit Mir
by HisAsgardianAngel
Summary: Before Loki is turned in after the events of The Avengers, Thor provides him with his own "punishment". But when Loki ends up in his cell pregnant, Odin hides it from Thor with plans to end the baby's life. How will Thor react when he finds Loki in labor with a baby he didn't know existed? Will they be able to see past all the hurt and build a family or will it all be too much?
1. What You Don't Know Can Hurt You

A very pregnant Loki sat in his cell in Asgard, reading the same book he'd read three times, and having a contraction every now and then. He was afraid these were more than Braxton Hicks contractions, but he wouldn't mention a word as Odin was staring at him through the glass this day, who wanted nothing more than to end his child's life the moment it began.

Loki loved his baby, he did, but oh did he resent the day he was conceived. All together he wished it had never ever happened. The day he and Thor had returned from Midgard Thor hadn't turned him in immediately, oh no, Thor had a punishment for him all his own. As if it was really punishment, they both wanted it. Thor wanted one good fucking before Loki was thrown away and so had Loki, he knew he wasn't going to have many more opportunities to fulfill his sexual needs, and Thor was so willing…and after all, he was the only man Loki had ever been with. Took his virginity when they were teenagers. Loki smirked at this memory, but it quickly dissolved into a wince of pain, one of his hands cupping and rubbing his swollen belly.

"There, there, my child. Calm yourself." He uttered gently, Odin snorting nearby.

"Oh do say you're in labor, Loki, I can't wait to rip that baby from your arms. Your due date is tomorrow, you know." He reminded him with a humorless smile. Loki glowered at Odin, a protective hiss rising in his throat.

"Thor might be a good son to you, Allfather, but he will cease to be anything to you once you murder our child. He'll kill you." Loki promised, his voice full of ice and his emerald colored eyes ablaze with an intense hatred. Odin chuckled.

"There's a reason he hasn't visited, Loki. I've kept him very busy, and he will never know that baby ever existed." Loki growled, so much anger and love welling inside him as he felt his son kick, those tiny feet he'd grown to adore fluttering up at his ribs. If only his cell wasn't virtually magic proof, a projection kill looked so nice right about now.

"He'll know. He'll come see me, and I'll tell him. And just maybe it will be enough to make him realize that you never loved either one of us. He'll see, and he'll let me out, and I will drive a dagger into your heart." Odin responded with some bullshit remark, but Loki was no longer listening. His water had just broken, and he knew he was in deep trouble. There had to be a way out of his, he couldn't just let it happen. Then again maybe he deserved this, monster as he was, but his baby didn't, and it was that thought that was driving him to push forward. His mind was working out the possible ways to quickly kill off the people trying to take his baby away once they entered his cell, when the door to the dungeon swung open.

"Greetings, Brother, I got back early from my latest quest so I thought I'd come see you, I'm sorry I haven't had time-" His rambling trailed off as he caught sight of his brother, looking miserable and worried, and his smug father.

"Loki, you look…" Loki smiled sadly.

"Pregnant? I am. Congratulations you big oaf, you're going to be a father." Odin took that as his cue to quickly interject his solution, as if this pregnancy were an issue to Thor.

"Don't worry about it, my son, as soon as the child is born we will properly dispose of it. I know you wouldn't want it getting out that you slept with your brother, reputation as future king and all." Thor's eyes filled with so much confusion.

"What? No! I don't understand…why would you think that? If that's my infant, then I wish to raise it, how could you suggest I rid the world of something so precious?" Odin didn't have time to answer before Loki moaned loudly, unable to hold it in any longer as an enormous contraction hit him. He doubled over, clutching his baby bump and Thor ran to the door of his cell.

"Loki! Loki, what's wrong?" Loki gritted his teeth as the pain just kept shooting through him.

"My water broke you mewling…ahhh!" Thor didn't know much about babies or pregnancy, but that was pretty much a universal term for 'this baby is coming and it's coming now'. Panic ripped through Thor's chest and he quickly unlocked and opened the door to his brothers cell, being grabbed by the shoulder by Odin.

"Think of the implications, Thor! You are above this, above him! He is a criminal, a disgrace to this family, and for gods sake, son, he's your brother! You are practically begging the rest of the Nine Realms to stop taking us seriously!" Thor shoved Odin hard, hard enough to send him back a few feet, and he rushed towards the now heavily panting Loki. Loki looked up at Thor in a moment of intense vulnerability, his eyes reminding Thor of the way he used to look at him when they were children and he was wondering if they could share a bed because he was scared.

"Thor…promise you won't let them hurt him. No matter what becomes of me, our son has done no wrong. Promise you'll protect him." Thor petted Loki's hair, tears in his big blue eyes, and scooped Loki into his arms.

"Nothing is going to happen to either of you, that's my promise. I'm going to get you out of here." Odin was now stalking toward them and Loki gripped Thor tightly.

"Well then hurry, you fool, you know what father is capable of!" Thor, being strong as he was, shifted so that he was holding Loki with one arm and then summoned Mjolnir with his free hand, grinning.

"You underestimate me, brother. Watch." Thor swung his hammer around furiously, creating a bit of a wind storm inside the cell, and the lights began to flicker as the sound of thunder cracked outside. Odin laughed.

"You seem to forget who taught you to wield that hammer." Thor stepped closer, a sneer marring his normally cheerful expression.

"And you seem to forget who comforted and healed me when I got hurt using it. You will do nothing to harm Loki, or the child growing inside him. My child, your grandchild. Advance any further and I'll have no choice but to hurt you." Odin very obviously didn't think Thor would do it, and another wail from Loki indicated that Thor didn't have the leisure of waiting for him to make a move. An uppercut with Mjolnir to Odin's jaw sent the allfather flying back into the bars of a cell behind him and Thor knew he had to move quickly, bolting out of the dungeon like a bat out of hell. Once he was in his bedroom, he dead locked the door and gently laid Loki on his bed.

"Ugh, T-Thor, he'll come for us, we should have left the palace." Loki panted, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead. Thor pulled Loki's pants off and looked between his legs.

"No, Loki, there was no time for that. Don't worry, baby brother, you're both safe with me. I will make good on my word, you'll see." Loki bared down and reached frantically for Thor's hand, the God taking it eagerly and moving from the foot of the bed to be at his side. Tears ran down Loki's cheeks relentlessly, grabbing his midsection and letting out an ear-splitting scream. Thor kissed the tears away and laid his large hands on Loki's abdomen and rubbed, which Loki would never admit comforted him as much as it did.

"Don't weep, he'll be here soon, you're doing such a good job." Loki shook his head.

"I cry not over the pain, my brother. I cry because they'll take him away from us, I know it. I don't want to push him out, I want to keep him in the safety of my womb, sheltered from all the people who want to steal him away. We're never going to see him again, and then I guarantee if Odin gets his way we'll never again see each other, either. It's over, Thor. We're caught." Thor's thick blonde eyebrows knitted together and he kissed the back of Loki's hand, which he was still holding.

"Never. I swear it to you that if I'd known you were with child you'd have been taken from that cell immediately, moved into my room…you'd have been taken care of, comfortable, given the medical attention you needed. I could have done that, and I can do this for you now. My word is law in this kingdom." Loki pushed hard, feeling a ring of fire in his rear, and he knew it wouldn't be long now.

"N-No. Odin's word is law." Thor's face was grim and only darkened at his brothers words.

"Not to me." There was then suddenly a harsh banging on the door, and several voices were heard outside of it, demanding to be let in. Loki let out a long groan and pushed, harder than he meant to as panic was now surging through him at the commotion outside.

"Our son." Thor whispered gently, tears falling and sticking in his beard as he returned to the bottom of the bed.

"You really gave it your all, his head is out. I can see our sons face, Loki…he's beautiful." Something in Thor's voice as he whispered this made something in the Jotunn man snap.

"I hate you." He whimpered, a look of hurt flashing across Thor's face. He said nothing, allowing the other God to catch his breath from a contraction before continuing.

"I hate you so much for giving me a child that I loved the moment I knew I'd conceived him, no matter how detached I wanted to be. For opening my heart to be broken for the umpteenth time." Loki sounded so shattered and terrified and it absolutely killed Thor. He lovingly rubbed Loki's thigh with one hand and cupped the baby's head for support with the other, staring deeply into Loki's eyes.

"Please, say you don't mean that. Loki, I know you lived in my shadow, and I can't blame you for acting out the way you have. I'm sorry, and I take full responsibility for everything you did in Midgard, it was my fault…and Father's fault. We drove you to madness, and it wasn't fair. But I never meant to, and all those times we kissed and fooled around as children, that was real affection I showed to you. Real affection I showed to you once more when we made love, because that's what it was. It was love making Loki, not just bedding some miscellaneous no one. I want to be more to you than just your older brother, I want to be your brother second, your boyfriend first. Or maybe your brother first and your boyfriend second, depending on the situation." He said with a laugh, a laugh that was sweet and genuine and Loki wanted to respond but that baby was coming and it was coming that instant, so all he could manage was a nod…but a nod was enough.

"Thor!" Loki cried, the child's shoulders slowly emerging and blood soaking the sheets of the bed and Thor's hands alike. Once the shoulders were out the baby slipped easily into Thor's massive hands and he choked back a sob, cradling his little blonde baby boy.

"He has your eyes. Green as the northern lights…" He muttered in adoration, kissing the top of his head and placing the baby on Loki's chest, who immediately wrapped his arms tightly against the infant as he heard the door to Thor's room be kicked in.

"Don't let them take him…" He murmured, fighting the sudden intense urge to pass out. Focus on your baby, he thought, you have to be strong for your baby. He listened to the small cries and used what very little energy he had to rock the slimy squealing thing. He looked down, smiling faintly at the child. Thor had been right, their baby was so beautiful, and so precious.

"So this was my companion these last nine months." Loki whispered with a failed attempt at a smirk. He opened his mouth to utter an I love you, but the stunning little face of his son faded into black and white, and that's the last thing he remembered before his world went completely dark.


	2. The Most Dangerous Game

Loki's vision faded in and out for a while before his eyes finally focused, sitting up frantically and looking around the room.

"Thor? Thor? Where's my baby? Is he okay? I want my baby!" Loki yelled this all at once, it pouring from his lips like word vomit as a bit of hysteria came over him. Thor rushed into the room, baby in tow, and quickly placed him in Loki's arms.

"There, Loki, it's okay, he's okay." Thor cooed gently, petting Loki's hair and watching as he possessively held the child against his chest. Loki calmed a bit, his breathing slowing as he felt the child nuzzle into him, a very tiny hand curling around a loose strand of the God's hair.

"Did you mean it?" He asked gently, not bothering to look up at his brother, his eyes still glued to his small son, who was making baby noises that were filling Loki with so much affection.

"Mean what?" Thor asked carefully, not wishing to anger his sensitive counterpart, but he did just the same.

"Nothing, forget it, you obviously didn't." Thor sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Loki do not do that to me, come on, you just mothered my baby while I fought off a bunch of guards and our father. Might I also bring to light that after a lengthy battle with father, I had to get you to the safety of Midgard and ask the Man of Iron for a place to stay for a little while whilst you were unconscious, and we are now in exile. So if you would, please do not be short with me and answer my inquiry, I am trying so hard." Thor huffed, Loki looking around and just now becoming aware that they truly were in a spare bedroom in Stark Tower. He sighed and attempted to shoot an angry look at Thor, but he just wasn't feeling up to it.

"Did you mean it when you said you wanted to be more than brothers?" Understanding flooded Thor's face and he beamed at Loki.

"Of course! Loki, we've never really been just brothers, have we?" He asked with a laugh, leaning in and very chastely kissing Loki's lips. Loki blushed but turned his face away so Thor wouldn't see it. He then let out a chuckle, which startled Thor. It wasn't often you heard a real laugh from Loki.

"He's trying to nurse me." He explained, looking down lovingly as his son attached to his nipple, Loki's hand softly supporting the child's head and not bothering to correct him. Thor stared at his child for a moment, bursting into thunderous laughter.

"Brother, I don't think he's trying to nurse you, I think he IS nursing you." Loki rolled his eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous he can't-" He trailed off, noticing that his baby was indeed swallowing something. He gently pulled him off his nipple and sure enough there was milk dribbling down his little chin. He cried out and Loki quickly placed him back on his chest, looking up at Thor in absolute shock.

"I'm lactating. How in the seventh circle of hellheim am I lactating?" Thor shrugged, a love-struck smile plastered on his face.

"I don't know, Loki, how did you even conceive and carry my child? All of this is a shock to me." Loki smirked.

"Well Thor, when two men love each other very much," He began in a condescending voice, Thor playfully flicking him in the arm.

"Shut up, Loki, you know what I mean." It was Loki's turn to shrug.

"I asked the doctors in the palace the same thing, once I began showing and the guard sent one down there thinking I had a tumor. Doctor said male pregnancy was normal among frost giants. Girls of that race have reproductive problems or something and some genetic mutation in some miracle child saved the entire race or something like that…I wasn't much listening, I was to busy freaking out that my brothers seed was growing inside me." Thor smiled smugly.

"You loved my seed growing inside you." They both shared a laugh at that and watched their child nurse for a few minutes before Thor finally blurted out something that was bothering him.

"You love me…right?" Loki was quiet for a few moments, the two of them staring deeply into each others eyes.

"What I said while I was in labor bothered you, didn't it?" Thor nodded, and Loki sighed heavily, not being very big on expressing himself.

"You're my brother." Thor's jaw clenched and his eyes lost a little of their shine.

"I didn't mean in that way and you know it." Thor's need to hear it back so badly startled Loki, and then it occurred to him that all their lives Thor had probably wondered about the true way Loki felt about him, as he was never straightforward with any of his emotions lest it be anger. Loki looked down at his son, who was done eating, and he put him up on his shoulder to burp him.

"Thor, I…" That was as far as he could allow himself to go. He didn't know why, he honestly did love Thor, but it was not in his nature to open his heart to those he feared would hurt him, and unfortunately that was everyone. Thor's fist clinched and he hit the wall beside him in anger, Loki and the baby both flinching.

"Do you not see that I care for you, brother? I try to show you, but you continue to push me away and I'm sick of it!" Loki's face reddened and he gently covered his child's ears as best he could, as not to scare him.

"You are wrong! Brother, it is you who does not care! I try to show you that I can rule and you bring me back to Asgard as a prisoner! You continue to ignore my wants, my desires. Everything I ever did was for you and for father. I wanted to show you than I was capable of being more than your little brother, I could be someone worthy of your love, but then you threw me into an abyss! I'm capable of love, brother, it's you who fails to see it." Loki shouted, his efforts of not scaring his baby failing, and he immediately cradled the child, shushing him and rubbing him while shooting Thor a nasty look. They stared at one another for a grand total of two seconds before Thor smashed their faces together, a long, heated kiss ensuing.

"I do love you, both of you." He finally whispered, hoping that for both their sakes Thor wouldn't make him regret it. Thor just smiled kissed Loki's temple.

"I love you too." Loki sincerely hoped Thor didn't want to make a habbit out of this whole I love you thing, it really made him uncomfortable. Loki Laufeyson hated a lot of things, but most of all he hated to feel vulnerable, and that's what the "l" word did to him.

"We must buy him clothes soon. My cape is unfit a garment for a young prince." Thor said after a while, pulling Loki from his thoughts.

"Speaking of things needed to be done for our baby, what are we calling him? I don't believe waiting the normal nine days is appropriate in this situation." Thor laughed.

"Yeah I guess not. I haven't had long to think about this, I've only known I was a father for a few hours. You name him, besides, it was your hard work that brought him into the world, not mine. You've earned naming our son." Loki sighed and smiled down at his son, who had just popped his thumb in his mouth, his bright green eyes beginning to flutter closed.

"Rune. I hereby call you Rune, son of Thor, future king of Asgard." Thor grinned and wrapped his arm around Loki.

"I like the sound of that, little Rune. That is a mighty name, Loki." Loki nodded, obviously pleased with himself.

"A fitting name for a God." It was then that Tony Stark sauntered into the room with a blanket and some hot chocolate.

"You alright, Reindeer Games? You scared the shit out of us." Tony tried to act like it was no big deal as he draped the blanket over Loki's shoulders and handed him the beverage, but Loki could tell he was worried. Loki smiled playfully at him, remembering the last time they'd spoken, when he'd asked Tony if he could please have a drink after battle.

"Thanks, Stark. No hard feelings about last time, yeah?" Tony rolled his eyes.

"We all have bad days. You have a baby now too, so…I'm not really worried about you destroying my tower again." Loki laughed.

"You don't think I could destroy a city with a baby on my hip?" Tony only smirked in response, heading in to the living room and leaving the couple alone once more.

"I like him. He's less uptight than the spangley one and the ugly green thing." Thor grimaced.

"Loki, don't call my friends such names, that's unkind. You don't really know them you know." Loki leaned up and lightly kissed Thor.

"When have you ever known me to be kind?" Thor smiled bitter sweetly and took the other god's hand.

"There was a time when you were always kind, my brother. And I'm afraid it's I that has made you cold. But we're going to fix that, aren't we, Rune?" The tiny baby wiggled in Loki's arms, though asleep and Loki's heart swelled. Damn that sweet bundle of joy for making him feel these things, Loki thought. Though he wasn't really upset, he was so happy and he loved his baby so much. He just…wasn't use to any of that. Loki pretended not to hear Thor and rubbed the cape on Rune's tiny shoulders, as goose-bumps where there.

"Help me to the bathtub please, Thor. Our baby needs a proper washing and he is awfully cold. I don't want him catching anything, it's dreadful when newborns get sick, and I don't need another reason to worry, he already has a price on his head practically, and I want to give him the best possible…" Loki trailed off and Thor grabbed the sides of his face and pulled him into a tender kiss.

"Okay, okay, I understand, I shall draw you a warm bath. You're not the only new parent here, I'm just as concerned for our little prince's well being." Thor promised with a laugh, finding Loki's reaction to something as small as goose-bumps utterly adorable.

"But not too hot, Thor, we don't wish to burn him!" Loki called after him, the thunder god chuckling all the way to the bathroom. Loki nuzzled his baby and rocked him gently, feeling like all the love in the world was flowing through his body.

"Your father doesn't understand. He didn't carry you inside of him for nine months. You've been mommy's best and only companion, and I love you so much." Loki was tense even as he uttered such sweet words, knowing they were far from safe and this was all far from over. The second Thor had taken his virginity as teens it had unknowingly triggered this terrible game, this let's-see-how-long-it-takes-us-to-get-caught kind of game, and now that there was a baby involved Loki really didn't wanna play anymore. Because the game wasn't over when you got caught, it was then that the game truly begun.


	3. Flirtatious Encounters

It was getting late, and Tony had gone shopping while Loki had been in the bath, buying some necessities for his tiny house guest, such as diapers, clothes, and a bassinet, which he sat down beside Loki's side of the bed. The two Gods were very grateful, not knowing exactly how Midgardian shopping worked. Loki had his sweet boy laid down on the bed while he picked out a pair of pajamas from the pile of clothes Tony had bought. Thor was out doing god only knows what in the living room and Tony walked by the spare bedroom and stopped, watching from the doorway was Rune wiggled and kicked, Loki laughing and gently forcing his sons legs in the footie pajamas.

"You need help, Rock of Ages?" Loki smirked and zipped up the pajamas, shaking his head as he read "May the Norse be with you" off of it and looked at the little horned helmet that was printed underneath it.

"Maybe one day you can wear mommies helmet, it's more badass than that one." Tony chuckled, still watching Loki, a smug smile on his face.

"What's his name?"

"Rune."

"And does Rune have a middle name?" Loki didn't understand why, but he couldn't help feeling like Tony was flirting with him. Loki shook his head coyly.

"No." Tony's smirk widened.

"Call him Anthony." Tony was obviously checking Loki out as he suggested this and it made the God uncomfortable, wishing Thor was in the room. Tony was too attractive to be playing around like this. However because he found him attractive, and he was trying so hard, Loki decided to throw him a bone.

"Rune Anthony Thorson sounds kind of odd to me, Anthony Stark. How about Rune Jàrn Thorson. Jàrn is Norse for iron, take it or leave it." Tony opened his mouth to speak but shut it again as Loki continued.

"And this is just because you've been so kind to us, no ulterior motive, you got that?" Tony snorted, his smile not once faltering.

"No one says there was. Catch you on the flip side, RG, I'm going to go make sure Point Break hasn't destroyed anything." Loki rolled his eyes and rocked his now crying baby back and forth, wondering if the song Frigga sang to him when he was younger would sooth him.

"Don't cry, my son, I know I'm not the best person, but I'm here. And I'm always going to be here to love and protect you. You're the one person worth fixing my broken past for, and I'd do it all a thousand times over if I was sure you'd always be the outcome." Loki promised softly as he bounced his baby, who immediately quieted, enjoying the feel of Loki rubbing his left side, which is where Loki had usually rubbed his baby bump while he was pregnant. He then began to sing, looking around to make sure Tony and Thor weren't going to hear him.

"The sky is dark and hills are white, as the Storm King speeds from north to night. This is the song the Storm King sings: 'sleep, sleep, little one sleep.' He rustles his wings and gently sings: 'sleep little one sleep.'" It was then that Thor walked in and Loki quickly quieted, embarrassment flooding his features. Thor sauntered behind Loki, wrapping one of his large arms around the God and using the other to stroke their baby's head, nuzzling his face into Loki's shoulder.

"On yonder mountain-side a vine, clings at the foot of a mother pine. The tree bends over the trembling thing, and only the vine can hear her sing: 'sleep, sleep, little one, sleep. What shall you fear when I am here? Sleep, little one, sleep.'" Thor's voice wasn't as gentle or rapturous as Loki's, but it seemed to be doing its job as Rune's tiny eyes began to flutter, Thor staring at his boy in adoration and Loki' s awestricken gaze fixed on the thunder god. They both sang the third and final verse, Loki finally giving up, as he'd already been caught red handed being sweet anyway.

"The king may sing in his bitter fight, the pine may croon to the vine tonight, but the little snowflake at my breast liketh the song I sing best: 'sleep little one, sleep. Weary thou art, anext my heart. Sleep, little one, sleep.'" Rune was now fast asleep and both parents littered his face with kisses before gently lowering him into the bassinette.

"Sleep well, sweet child." Thor whispered, his lip quivering a little and Loki shooting him a curious look.

"You okay?" Thor nodded.

"I just can't believe I almost missed my opportunity to know him. It's insane, how much love you can feel for a child within moments of knowing they're yours. It's an instant connection…one minute I know not of our little miracle and the next I can't live without him." Loki normally would have laughed at his brother for this womanishness, but he didn't, not at that.

"I know. That's why I was angry at you for a good portion of my pregnancy. I fell in love with Rune in one instant, one little word from the doctor and I was wrapped around his finger, and it wasn't fair." Thor wrapped his arms around Loki and sighed.

"But you don't regret it, do you? Regret him?" Loki shook his head.

"I thought I did, but that was before I held him. Before I heard him cry…now the only thing I regret is not being able to promise him a good life. I'm his mother, that's on me." Thor turned Loki around and laid his forehead against his brothers.

"No, I'm his father, I'm the one that carries that burden. It's your job to nurture him, care for and love him when no one else does, the way no one else does. Providing falls on me." A small smile tugged on Loki's lips and he traced the cold metal armor on Thor's chest with a slender finger.

"Can you provide for our family? Oh mighty son of Odin?" Loki's voice was fraught with desire and his eyes were playful and flirty, Thor automatically leaning in with an arrogant smile.

"I can and I will." Loki captured Thor's lips with his and tangled his fingers into the God's blonde mane. Thor moaned and pulled him against him, one hand exploring Loki's chest as the other was holding him tightly in place.

"It's been far too long since I saw you naked, baby brother, nine dreadfully long months…" Thor purred, pushing Loki against the wall beside the sleeping baby. Loki pulled away and attacked Thor's neck, sucking and biting and drawing a little blood, Thor arching his back in pleasure as he did so.

"You aren't supposed to fuck your little siblings, Thor…bad, bad boy." The words fell out of Loki's mouth as if it were some sort of erotic cesspool and it went straight to Thor's dick. He growled and ground into Loki hard, the other god having to bite his tongue to keep from waking Rune up.

"That's where you're wrong, Loki. Siblings are born for their elders." Loki didn't ever want to admit how much those words turned him on, his body feeling about twenty degrees hotter than it had just seconds ago. Loki was about to beg Thor to fuck him into submission when Tony walked in, a look of horror on his face.

"Hey! Get off of him, Johan Hegg, he just had a baby less than 24 hours ago! Jesus man, at least give his ass a week to heal. Besides, Steve and Bucky are at the door." Tony left the room and Thor assumed the face of a kicked puppy.

"I-I didn't…I didn't even think…brother if I had harmed you…" Loki grabbed the sides of Thor's face and pulled him down into a rough, searing kiss, his tongue fighting for dominance, which Thor relented too, and he softly sucked on Thor's bottom lip before he pulled away.

"Don't worry about it, it's not like I was saying no. But he's right we should wait…I don't really want to go see the man out of time though…I'm not fond of him." Thor smiled and wrapped an arm around his brothers shoulder.

"Oh, don't be like that. You'll love Steve once you get to know him." Loki rolled his eyes, he seriously doubted that, but he wasn't in the mood for arguing. Loki stopped in the door way, glancing over his shoulder at his sleeping angel.

"I don't want to leave him." Thor kissed his temple and tugged lightly on his arm.

"He'll be alright, brother, we're just going into the family room. If he needs us, we'll know." Loki reluctantly left, but turned a small light on and left the door open. He then shook his head at himself as they walked out to greet the couple in Stark's foyer. I'm turning into such a stereotypical mother, he thought to himself with a smirk.

It seemed Tony hadn't known Natasha was coming along, because he hadn't said so, but the red head was the first to walk over to the couple after joining everyone else.

"You done spilling red? Listen, don't even worry about it. I joined the Avengers as a chance to redeem myself, I know where you're coming from. Why I came actually, Steve is having a hard time grasping the fact that Tony and Thor haven't turned you in so…just leave it to me, okay?" Natasha smiled at Loki, and he couldn't help the grin that crept onto his face in response, remembering what had gone down between them when he was in the glass cell.

"You aren't still with Barton, are you? Beautiful girl like you could do better." Loki stopped himself there, reminding himself that his insatiable days were over, he was settling down. Natasha laughed, but Thor and Tony both got a little quiet at that, the only sound being some grumbles from Steve.

"Listen, my relationship status is none of your business but I appreciate the compliment." Loki couldn't help himself.

"It wasn't a compliment, I don't give compliments. It was the truth. Thank you, also, for coming to keep Rogers from ripping my throat out. That was kind of you." Natasha smirked.

"I don't do kind, I do recon. Can't have Captain America slaughtering semi-innocent civilians." They both just grinned at each other and Loki chuckled.

"I like you. Pleased to officially meet your acquaintance, Miss Romanoff." Natasha nodded once.

"Likewise." She turned on her heel to face Tony who was giving her the evil-eye.

"We're here for a reason, Stark. Now are we going to stand in your foyer all day or may we sit in the living room?" Tony gritted his teeth and gestured towards said room.

"Be my guest." Loki squeezed Thor's hand and cuddled into his side as they followed them.

"Don't look so upset, brother, I didn't mean it that way. I didn't have a son with her, I had one with you, now lighten up." Thor wasn't so sure until he looked over at Loki, who's eyes were unusually unguarded, and he kissed Thor on the cheek tenderly. Thor grinned happily, deciding that Loki was right, he was just being jealous.

"I love you." He whispered. Loki sighed, not really wanting to say it back two days in a row, but he did love him, and after all, he had just flirted with a chick.

"I love you too." Mental note, Loki thought, learn to separate love and attraction before Thor hurts someone. But it didn't really matter, Loki was only ever going to be with Thor from there on out, and the God longed for the day he could prove it to him. Another note to self, ask doctor when I can have sex.


	4. Liar Liar

Once everyone was comfortably seated in the living room, Steve cleared his throat and began his announcement.

"Tony, I know you and I don't exactly like one another, but your father and I were great friends. So I find it my moral obligation to look after you." This seemed to piss Tony off but he didn't say anything and allowed the captain to continue.

"Part of looking after you, is always coming to you with the truth, whether news be good or bad, and I have a little of both. The good news is that Bucky and I have decided to make things official, we are getting married this spring. I cordially invite everyone here, minus Loki." Both Tony and Thor glowered at Steve, but Loki didn't seem particularly bothered by this comment, as he really didn't want to go anyway, and once more Rogers was allowed to continue uninterrupted.

"However the bad news, I'm afraid, is that Fury has received word from the Asgardians, and they are not happy. It has been ordered that Tony be taken into custody until Loki is removed from this tower and sent back immediately to his cell. You're currently housing a fugitive." Both Tony, Loki, and Thor sprung up, anger plastered on their faces.

"They can't do that!" They all three yelled simultaneously.

"I'm just trying to help out a friend, that is not a crime and unless they have a warrant my ass is staying right here, you can tell Fury to suck my dick." Tony raged, his face red and his blood boiling.

"Yeah! And I won't let you arrest Stark, he has been kind to us when everyone else turned their backs. It is my fault he is in trouble, and if they want to arrest someone they can arrest me! After all, I'm the one that let Loki out!" Thor bellowed.

"Neither one of you are going to be arrested, now hush! Now there is no way I'm turning myself in, I am going to be in my sons life if it kills me, I will not abandon him the way I was abandoned. However, they didn't call me silver-tongued in Asgard for no reason, I'll go talk to them." Natasha shook her head.

"You're going to need a lot more than a silver-tongue to get out of this one, trust me, I know Fury. But don't worry, I'm going to help you." They all smiled at Natasha and Bucky even managed a grin.

"Yeah, I'll help too. You don't seem to be hurting anyone, and you have a baby to look after." Bucky interjected, much to Steve's obvious dismay.

"This is treason you guys. We're supposed to do what we're told." Loki shot Steve a sarcastic smile.

"Maybe that's your problem. I do what I want, maybe you should too." Steve snorted.

"Or maybe that's what got you in this mess in the first place." There was a tangible silence, everyone just kind of looking in opposite directions for a while before Steve spoke up again.

"Loki is a monster and a criminal, he belongs locked up and I will have no part in helping him stay free. That, to me, is injustice for those who died in the attack." Thor got awfully close to Steve, his deep blue eyes burning and his expression one of shock at his friends words.

"How dare you call my brother a monster! He may lie, and he may have a difficult time expressing himself, but he is no monster. You didn't grow up with Loki, you could never know what I know about him, or feel the amount of love for him that I do in my heart. The one being a monster right now is you, wanting to imprison someone who just gave birth to an innocent baby, an innocent baby who needs his mother!" Steve's face remained stony and his jaw set.

"That sounds like a personal problem, Thor." Bucky slid his engagement ring off of his finger and got off the couch, holding the ring in front of Steve's face.

"Steven Joseph Rogers do you see what I'm holding in my hand? That's our future. And I am ten seconds away from throwing it all back at you, so if I were you, I'd listen carefully. What would this world be without second chances? If you hadn't been given a second chance to defend your country? If I hadn't been given a second chance at a life with you? If you hadn't given me a third chance when I was the Winter Soldier…the list could go on Steve, and not just about us. If Tony hadn't had his second chance, Obadiah Stane would be selling weapons of mass destruction to terrorists right now. I know that Loki did a lot of wrong, but Steve, so have I. So have a lot of people that turned out to be heroes. Give him a shot, sweetheart, not just for him but for his baby." Steve's eyes seemed to soften and he took the ring from Bucky, placing it back on his fiancé's finger.

"Okay, I'll give him one chance, but only for you, Buck. If he hasn't done anything to harm anyone by the end of the month, I'll help you talk to Fury. But I swear, Thor, the moment something happens to an innocent life because of your brother it is on your head." Thor didn't reply, backing off of Steve and protectively curling himself around an amused Loki. Tony was still a little on the defensive, his body rigid, until Natasha leaned over and whispered something in his ear. Then a small smirk crept on to Starks face and he seemed to relax a little, looking at Natasha with wide doe eyes as if to ask if she was sure. The ginger nodded and Tony grabbed her by the waist, gesturing with his free hand to his front door.

"Okay, Bucky, Steve, nice seeing you and all but I'm suddenly very very busy and I need you to leave." Steve got a sickened look on his face, guessing what this meant, but chose not to comment, taking Bucky's hand and nearing the door.

"One month, Loki." Was all he said before disappearing and slamming the door behind him. Loki shot a suggestive look to Tony and Natasha.

"Suddenly very busy, huh?" Tony grinned.

"There are two rules here in Stark Tower, my friend. Rule number one, if sexy Asgardian Gods start suddenly living with you, you fuck them. And rule number two is very similar. If sexy red headed ladies come to visit, you fuck them. Now there are two Norse Gods and a red headed lady in my house and no one has been fucked, that's a problem." Thor chuckled loudly.

"You know, The Angry Green One warned me you were promiscuous but I had no idea it was this bad." Tony winked and pulled Natasha toward the master bedroom.

"You two have an excuse because Reindeer Games in indisposed of at the moment, but Natasha is finally single and has no excuse, so, if you will excuse us." They quickly locked Tony's door behind them and Loki cheerily called after them.

"So you DID dump Barton, congratulations!" Thor snuggled Loki tighter against him and sighed, it had been such a long day.

"So, it's just you and I now. What do you want to do?" Loki opened his mouth to say something but the sound of their baby crying lit a fire in Loki and he bolted to their bedroom. Thor walked in to Loki cradling their son tightly, shushing his whimpers and curling up with him on the bed. Thor smiled.

"You're so good at this." Loki blushed, ignoring Thor's comment as Rune rooted around his chest.

"Ah, that's why you woke up, my darling. You're hungry." Loki pulled his shirt off over his head and Rune eagerly latched on, suckling hard and hungrily. Loki winced a bit, still not used to the force babies seemed to use when eating, but happily rubbed and petted his baby. Thor grinned from ear to ear and climbed up on the bed with them, the couples eyes meeting intensely for a moment.

"Don't you even think about it." Loki warned, the unusually mischievous look on his brothers face alarming him.

"Think about what, brother? This?" Thor asked, bending down and licking his siblings free nipple. Loki turned a dark burgundy color and tensed.

"I just want to taste you…I'm sure you have plenty to go around." Thor purred, sucking the nipple into his mouth and rolling it around between his teeth.

"T-Thor, I don't want to associate this with breast feeding, please…" Loki whined, knowing it was too late though as he felt some of his milk pour into his brothers mouth. Thor pulled back abruptly and Loki laughed at his scrunched up face.

"Didn't like the taste of me did you, brother dearest?" He teased, having figured this would be his brother's reaction. Thor stifled a gag.

"U-Um…I wouldn't say THAT, I just…it tasted like watered down prison food." Loki laughed.

"Well that's all I've eaten you know, I've been imprisoned for almost ten months." Thor felt awful for both Loki and Rune and slid off the bed, a look of pure sympathy plastered on his face.

"I'll be right back." He rummaged around in Starks kitchen for a while, coming back with a large container of chocolate ho-ho's and a bag of salt and vinegar chips.

"It seems the Man of Iron has an entire pantry full of strange Midgardian junk foods. The short period of time I was with Jane I enjoyed such foods, so I know they are unhealthy, but you'll like them." He handed the stuff to Loki and then pulled out a poptart from seemingly nowhere.

"This is mine." He uttered, biting into the snack food possessively. Loki snickered at his brother and opened the bag of chips, staring curiously at one of the crispy salty things before sticking it in his mouth. He made a face something awful, as the vinegar touched his tongue, but it wasn't unpleasant.

"This is delicious…overwhelming, but delicious." Thor nodded, mouth full of pastry.

"I know, right? I do not comprehend why our realm does not supply us with these magnificent goods. These pop of tart things are more divine than roasted boar at Yuletide." Loki gasped.

"Nothing is more delicious than mother's roasted Yule boar, take it back!" Thor shook his head.

"No, brother, eat the pop of tart, taste the goodness!" Thor urged, trying to force a piece of poptart into Loki's mouth. Rune pulled away from Loki's nipple and he sat him against his shoulder and sat up.

"I have to burp our son, get that blasphemy away from me." Loki grumbled, in no way deflating Thor's determination. They sat in silence for a while, Loki about to say something after finally hearing a tiny burp from his baby, and Thor took the opportunity to shove the poptart piece in. Loki glowered at him, but chewed, making an awful face.

"Thor these are disgusting, I hate them." Thor pooched his lips out in a pout, Loki smirking on the inside, because of course he had enjoyed the pop tarts.

"You don't mean it." Loki grinned.

"But I do, worst things I've ever put in my mouth." Thor shook his head, seeing right through Loki.

"Liar." Loki shrugged.

"That is what I'm best at, isn't it?" Thor smiled and leaned in for a kiss, which Loki allowed. They kissed for a while, swapping dominance back and forth and curling into each other as their son fell back asleep in their arms.

"I'm taking you out on a proper date tomorrow." Thor finally said. Loki raised both his eyebrows.

"Oh really?" Thor nodded, refusing to give more detail than that. Loki was intrigued, wondering what his gentle blonde oaf was up too, Thor wasn't the best at thinking things through or planning. Loki was excited though, and he was certain that no matter how stupid it was he would love it, because he'd admired and cherished everything Thor had ever done for him as long as he could remember, whether he was ready to admit it yet or not.


	5. A Thousand Years

The next night was particularly cold (as it usually was mid December in Manhattan), and Thor and Loki bundled Rune up heavily and took him over to Pepper and Banner's house, who offered to baby sit since Tony and Natasha also had plans. Natasha had spent the night (who'd have guessed) and Tony had decided he wanted to take her out. When they arrived, Pepper and Bruce's young son Thomas was playing out in the yard and Pepper was calling him inside, as it was beginning to get dark.

"I can not thank you enough for this, fair maiden, I hope he isn't any trouble." Pepper blushed and shook her head at Thor, taking the baby from a very reluctant and worried Loki.

"Oh I'm sure he will be an angel." Loki took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves, shooting Pepper a stern look.

"I pumped three bottles for you. He is to have one promptly at eight, because babies are supposed to be on schedule, I've read, and he ate dinner shortly after he was born, which was at eight, okay? Followed by a bath. Then he ate again at three am, that's the next bottle. Bottle number three is for if he is fussy at any in between hour or after, I don't think he will be or that he'll need it, but I don't want him to be hungry and me not be around." Loki babbled on for a while, Pepper giggling and putting a hand on Loki's shoulder.

"I've had a baby before, I know. He'll be fine." Loki's every senses were screaming that he couldn't leave his newborn, and it boggled his mind that his own mother could just abandon him at birth. How is anyone that detached from their child? Loki's eyes were wide with brimming love and worry and Thor had to practically drag Loki to the car they were borrowing.

"What the hell…Thor slow down!" Loki screeched after they had been in the vehicle for a while. It was snowing, and while it wasn't a blizzard, it wasn't safe either.

"My apologies, my brother, but I have never driven a car before. That is why we took the subway to Pepper's." Thor was swerving all over the road, and Loki had his hands planted firmly on the dashboard.

"We have a child, we can't both die you know." Loki reminded him bitterly as he ran a stoplight. Thor just laughed and accelerated more.

"Oh hush now, I am not that bad at motor vehicular travel." Loki looked at him as if he were nuts, but it was a moot point to argue as they skidded to a stop on the side of a dirt road at a park.

"A candlelit picnic!" Thor announced gleefully, Loki's face only filling with more dread.

"Brother…it's the middle of winter." Thor rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on, live a little!" He grabbed the picnic basket and ran to open the car door for Loki. Loki got out and looked around, his dark eyebrows knitting together.

"You didn't bring a blanket and the benches are coated…" Thor just smiled and took Loki's hand.

"You'll see." They trudged through the snow for a while before coming across a frozen pond and Thor beamed at his lover. He didn't really give him time to react before dropping his hand and sliding himself along the ice, sitting down gently and placing the basket in front of him. Loki shook his head no.

"Thor this is dangerous." Loki lied, really just not enjoying being out in this weather, it made him sad.

"No, challenging Laufey two years ago in Jotunheim was dangerous, don't be a woman!" Loki grimaced but complied, sitting down in front of Thor and trying not to touch the ice too much. It was as if every time he came into contact with it after finding out he was adopted, it made him hyperaware of the small amount of magic keeping his skin an Asgardian/human color, which he normally doesn't even know he is doing. Thor beamed at his brother, not really noticing the discomfort he seemed to be experiencing.

"I think you'll love what I packed for us, Loki." He pulled out a horn of mead, a thermous of coffee, a family sized box of pop tarts, and a bunch of pancakes in a zip lock bag. Then he set out and lit two candles and Loki's blood burned under his skin, getting madder and madder at the ridiculousness of this so called date. Of course, Thor had packed things in the basket that were special to him, and he wanted to share those things with Loki, but Loki didn't see it that way. He felt as if Thor wasn't taking their relationship very seriously and that taking him to a frozen pond was a way of mocking him. Loki was likely always going to be an insecure man, and right now he was a hormonal insecure man missing his newborn baby on a date with his older brother and it was really beginning to get to him.

"What's wrong, Loki? Is it because you miss Rune? Don't. Pepper's got a hold on things, and besides, I haven't spent quality time with you in a long time, just the two of us, and from here on out the baby is only going to complicate that." That was it, Loki exploded.

"I'm sorry, Thor, that our son is such a burden to you. I guess Rune and I are always going to be the black sheep of the family, not that I didn't expect it. I know I'm a man, and I'm not supposed to feel this strongly about my child, but I do, and I'm sorry if you're under the impression that things could continue on the way they have since we were little but they can't, Thor! I can't be your teenage plaything, I want commitment! I need it, I have to settle down, brother, no more games." By now Loki had become one with his Jotunn form, as he'd begun thinking of his adoption to the point of being so emotionally distraught that holding the magic together was no longer worth it. He turned from Thor, tears in his blood red eyes and the other God sat quietly for a moment before managing a reply.

"That's not what I meant…I just meant that it would be hard to spend as much time with you as I want, time alone, now that we're parents, not that being a parent was burdening me. Why are you like this? Please don't make me into a monster, I do not try to hurt you, my love. Please know that I'm trying to be romantic…and I'm sorry that I can't seem to get any of this right. I just want to be the man you want me to be, the one you need me to be." Loki still refused to turn around but he shook his head.

"No, Thor. I'm sorry. I just, this is so hard for me. I just want to be normal, to be the normal Asgardian boyfriend you deserve, to not be such a bad person…to not hurt you every chance I get out of sheer fear that allowing myself to love you too much will result in me crashing and burning, though I love you too much anyway. I'm just not cut out for this." Thor sighed as it dawned on him that it must have been the ice, and the sentiment. Loki never had been good a dealing with sentiment.

"Hey," Thor began, crawling carefully over the ice and wrapping his arms around Loki.

"Don't hide from me. I don't care that you're of Jotunheim, or that you yell at me to cover up how much you care. I really don't, I've put up with that for years." He reminded him with a laugh.

"All I care about is the fact that you do love me, and that you love our son, and that I'm able to keep you happy and safe. My love, you could tear my heart out and hold it before me with your bear hands and I'd die professing to you that you were still the center of my universe. Berate me, blame me, but don't ever take these moments. Don't ever truly stop loving me. That's the day my life ceases to have meaning." Loki turned around in his arms and though his skin was blue, the bright blush on his cheeks was still plenty visable.

"Thor, I am 1,048 years old. I have spent every waking moment of those 1,048 years loving you and I will spend 1,048 more. I just…" Thor shushed him and put his finger to his lips, a bright and happy smile on his face once more.

"Say no more, I understand." He whispered, his large hands tangling in Loki's long raven hair and tugging him into a kiss. They kissed savagely for a while, only breaking apart when Thor felt Loki's stomach growl.

"You're hungry, brother. Let me feed you the dinner I prepared." Loki rolled his eyes and put his head in his hands.

"That's not dinner that's junk." Thor only grinned and broke a chocolate chip poptart in half.

"Nonsense, now open up." Loki decided to play along, allowing the other god to feed him bits of broken off poptart, simply because it made his blonde little heart happy. They hardly made it to anything else, however, before Loki fell asleep in Thor's lap, nursing a mug of coffee, and the thunder god pulled him up into his arms and carried him back to the car. Loki looked very peaceful as he slept and it made Thor wish he would always look so serene. That was his new mission, he thought. He was going to wipe every ounce of sadness from his brother, and there would come a day when he was always as pleasant and as sweet as his dreams.


	6. All He Wanted

About a week passed and Thor and Loki's relationship had become a little more stable. Natasha was still staying with them, and though no one had said so both Gods were now under the impression that this was permanent, as the two had gotten close enough to almost be boyfriend and girlfriend.

One morning, Loki and Thor both awoke to the smell of waffles, not a crying baby, and it alarmed them. Worry sparkled in Thor's eyes as he sat up, urging Loki to check on him.

"Please make sure he is alright, he normally has woken hours ago." Loki didn't have to be told twice, frantically checking the bassinette to find not a baby, but a note.

"Dear Reindeer Games, playing with your baby since you didn't bother to wake up. Calm your tits.

-Tony." Loki let out a huge sigh of relief and curled back up, wrapping his arms around Thor's and pulling the blonde God back down on the bed.

"Anthony has him." Thor closed his eyes and pulled Loki up onto his chest.

"Thank Yggdrasil." Loki chuckled gently and traced Thor's bare chest with his finger, nestling his face into it.

"You're perfect." This surprised Thor, as he was not used to this level of affection so openly from Loki, normally he had to force it out of him. Thor's arms tightened around Loki and his hands slid up and down the younger god's back, enjoying the feel of his skin.

"You astound me, brother." He felt Loki smirk against his skin, that sinfully long tongue of his licking up and down his chest.

"Do you know what today is?" Loki growled, his tongue swirling around Thor's navel, who was know squirming under his brother's skilled touch.

"Happy birthday baby brother." Thor managed with a tender smile, Loki eating up the attention and practically purring. He roughly bit Thor on the shoulder and possessively yanked his blonde locks.

"Thank you, but it's not the birthday I'm happy about." Loki's words suddenly jogged Thor's memory and quite the out of character smirk happened upon his face, reversing their roles to where he was hovering over Loki.

"Ah yes, happy 1,032nd anniversary, my love." Of course, he was referring to Loki's 16th birthday, when he'd woken up to Loki curled up in bed with him, crying, and uttering things about not being able to hide anymore and chanting "Please don't hate me." He had proceeded to take his brothers virginity later that night. Loki laughed in pure delight, a kind of free-spiritedness in his eyes that was really only there once a year, when Loki was 16 again for a day, and Thor 19.

"Have we really had sex 1,032 times?" He asked flirtatiously, wrapping his bare legs around his brothers waist. Thor laughed.

"Many more times than that, Loki. Do not pretend we only have sex on your birthday." Loki, still beaming, seemed to think about this for a moment before replying.

"Yes, we were still fucking even with you were with Jane, you naughty boy you. What I don't understand is why the last time knocked me up and the other times didn't." Thor winced a bit.

"Don't call it fucking, it's so vulgar. Love making, Loki, I make love to you." Thor cooed the last bit, rubbing his nose against Loki, who almost giggled in response.

"To answer your question, I think it's an age thing. We live a good 5,000 years, Loki, so if you really think about it, we're only in our teenage stage right now. Maybe you just now…you know, were fully sexually mature." Loki blushed and he almost looked embarrassed.

"You mean to tell me we are teenage parents?" Thor chuckled and rubbed his growing erection teasingly against Loki's entrance.

"We might be, but I don't mind." Loki stifled a moan, wiggling a slender finger in Thor's face.

"Uh-uh, now that I am able to conceive, things are going to have to change, Thor. I am not a baby making machine." Thor's smile only widened.

"Worry not, Midgardians have these things I have stumbled upon in Tony's bathing chambers! Says it prevents pregnancy if I can figure it out…" He trailed off, pulling out the condom and looking seriously at it as Loki tilted his head to the side.

"That's an interesting contraption…" Thor didn't respond as he was attempting to follow the directions and roll it on, but it wasn't working, as he had unrolled it from the ring before attempting to put it on his dick.

"I don't…I don't understand…" Loki just laid there in amusement, loving that Thor was trying so hard and utterly fascinated by this rubber tube. Neither were given much time to respond, however, as Natasha walked in to tell them that breakfast was ready. She just kind of stood there, a blank expression on her face, her voice ringing out in irritancy.

"Really you guys? Really? Tony and I made waffles…Tony's bottle feeding Rune…get your asses up now, and Thor, honestly, you don't use a condom that way." Natasha rolled her eyes, annoyed entirely by the situation, and stalked out, and Loki burst into laughter.

"Romanoff gets more sassy everyday…get off me, brother. We will continue with our games later, don't you worry about that." He promised with a wink, Thor leaning in for a smoldering kiss.

"I'll hold you to that." They through on some clothes and sauntered into the living room, hand-in-hand and practically glued to each others side. Tony raised both his eyebrows as he watched the two interact, Thor taking a large plate of waffles from Natasha and a fork and then settling down on the couch with Loki in his lap, whom he was going to feed.

"You two are awfully chipper this morning." Tony noted suspiciously, mainly about Loki. Thor grinned wider than a Cheshire cat as he fed the first few bites of pancake to Loki.

"It's his birthday, and sort of our anniversary." This sort of shocked Tony, it had never really crossed his mind that God's celebrated birthdays.

"Oh, happy birthday, Rock of Ages. What anniversary are we celebrating? 220?" Tony teased, Loki rolling his eyes and smirking as he knew the answer would shock him.

"1,032." Tony's mouth would have dropped to the floor if it were able and he stared at the couple for a moment, looking no older than 25 each and feeding messy breakfast food to each other.

"And you two are just now reproducing?" Loki and Thor both laughed gently at this, looking over lovingly at their baby boy.

"Well even then it was an accident, Anthony, but it was a miraculous, perfect little accident." Loki said softly, earning a squeeze from Thor.

"Indeed it was." Thor assured him, attempting to feed the last bit of waffle to Loki with his mouth, the younger God snorting and playing along, biting the other end and attempting to eat his way to Thor's lips. Thor grunted and shoved the end of it into Loki's mouth with his tongue, gruffly pushing him back and crawling on top of him, similar to how they'd been in the bedroom earlier. His long blonde hair fell into Loki's face, those pale slender hands he adored pushing it back and pulling his head in inches from his.

"I love you." Considering it hadn't been forced out of Loki, Thor was overwhelmed with emotion and grabbed the trickster, his lips assaulting the other God's with the ferocity to bruise them, his tongue relishing Loki's deep warm mouth. Loki moaned, cuddling into Thor and pulling back gently, staring intensely into his big blue eyes.

"I know I don't say it often, but I do." Thor lay his forehead against Loki's and sighed, not caring that he could feel Tony watching them.

"I love you too. Would you like your birthday present, brother?" Loki's face resembled a child opening gifts at Christmas and he nodded with great enthusiasm. Thor laughed and nudged Loki off of him so he could get up and retrieve it from their bedroom. When he walked back into the living room Loki could hardly believe his eyes. In his hand was a tall golden staff, the curved end at the top being a deep red, and silver feathers dangled from it. It was gorgeous.

"Thor…it's beautiful." Thor beamed and presented the staff with a great deal of pride to his brother.

"I may not be skilled in magic, my brother, but it was made with great care by someone who is, and this staff has not only all the powers your last one did, but it can also wield thunder. I know you were upset when your staff was taken from you, and I thought this would make you happy…and also, even if we are apart you can always look at it and think of me…what with the thunder and colors and all." He said with a beam, a beam so infectious and bright that even Tony was smiling as he watched the gift giving take place. Loki was in Thor's arms in a matter of seconds.

"I love it, thank you." Thor spun him around happily and then picked Rune off of Tony's lap.

"What does Rune want to give mommy for his birthday, hmm?" The little baby cooed and both parents fawned over him, ruffling his soft blonde hair and kissing the top of his head.

"Why don't we all take a bath together, hmm? Does that sound good my sweet one? And then the park?" Loki whispered to Rune sweetly, nuzzling his baby, an affectionate smile on his face. Thor only chuckled.

"I shall run said bath. Bubbles?" Loki rolled his eyes.

"We're bathing with a one week old, of course, bubbles." Natasha came and sat on Tony's lap, shaking her head all the while.

"Aren't they an interesting pair?" Tony didn't answer, an evil grin plastering this face.

"Hey…we have more than one bathtub." Natasha smiled too and lead Tony down the hall, shoving him into the bathroom and locking the door.

"I love it when you're rough with me, Nat." She didn't reply, turning the hot water on all the way up and tearing at Tony's shirt. Tony responded appropriately, his hands flying to her breasts as she attacked his mouth with hers. He unzipped her spandex and it dropped to the floor, revealing no undergarments. Her bright red curls bounced as she yanked Tony's pants off and pushed him into the hot water. He yelped, but it hurt in a pleasing way, arousing him as she slid into the tub without so much as a wince.

"You are…just…" She looked up at him from under her eyelashes, green eyes full of mischief and pouty red lips curled into a leer.

"Just what?" Tony couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence, just pounce on his woman, who he knew would fight back with him…part of why he loved her. Natasha snaked her hands around him and ground against his dick, the friction and the heat of the water driving Tony crazy.

"Can I ask you something?" She never responded so he continued, groaning has she seemed to melt into him.

"Do you love me?" Natasha stopped dead in her tracks.

"…Love is for children." Tony shook his head.

"No, love makes children." He replied with a laugh and a smirk, which Natasha couldn't help giggling slightly over.

"Tony…I, I like you. I like you a lot, okay? Is that enough for right now." Tony pretended to need to think about it for a few moments, bursting into laughter and gently pecking her on the lips.

"Anything you feel for me is enough. Anything the beautiful SHIELD assassin feels for me is enough, for the sheer fact that you feel for me at all. Just a little." Natasha just stared at him, her lips slightly parted and an unnamed emotion in her eyes.

"A lot." And that's all Tony needed to hear, all he wanted. Happy Birthday Loki, he thought to himself, hope you don't mine that I celebrate too.


	7. Take My Body

The rest of the month passed without worry, both couples were very happy, and Rune was growing more and more every day. However, now that it was the new year (New Years Eve to be exact) everyone was a little on edge, expecting a visit from Steve. Loki hadn't done anything wrong apart from dying Tony's hair green when he'd accidentally dropped Rune the previous week, but that was fixed and no one had died by Loki's hands in a long time. Therefore, there was no reason for anyone to really worry, but they did anyway. Even Natasha had grown fond of Loki, and no one wanted to see him sent back.

Tony and Natasha were sitting stiff as boards, watching the clock as Loki tried his hand at cooking dinner for everyone and Thor was playing with Rune on the carpet. His son giggled and had locked on to Thor's long blonde hair, tugging pretty hard for a baby in an attempt to bring it to his mouth. Thor chuckled.

"No my son, my locks do not go in your mouth, you would not fancy the taste." He gently pried his hair free and pulled it into a ponytail, bending down and kissing his little ones chubby cheeks.

"Da! Da!" Rune cooed, his tiny fingers finding their way into Thor's beard, an adoring look in his big blue eyes. Pride swelled inside of Thor and he picked the child up, squeezing him against his chest happily.

"My sweet, beautiful little one! You are among the most intelligent beings in these nine realms!" Loki, who could clearly hear and see him from the kitchen, got a curious and amused look on his face.

"And why is that, brother?" Thor bounded over to Loki happily, bursting with love and a doting insanely fatherly presence about him, which Loki had never noticed before.

"He called me daddy!" Loki tried and failed to not burst into tearful laughter.

"Thor, he is one month old. He probably made a sound on accident that sounded like daddy." Thor shook his head in defense of his child.

"No, he looked me in the eyes and said da-da. You know Asgardian babies learn faster than human ones…" It was Loki's turn to shake his head.

"Not that much faster." Thor grinned and bounced his son up and down, nothing but pure unadulterated affection written all over.

"Well, that's why he is a genius." Loki rolled his eyes but didn't argue, enjoying watching Thor bond with their son. He might look like a big scary threatening God but Thor was really just a fluff-ball under all that armor. Always had been, it was one of the reasons Loki had initially fallen in love with him. Thor was never too much of a warrior to be loving and gentle, unlike their father, he wasn't a brute (although Loki playfully called him such on a semi-regular basis). Thor sat Rune in Tony's lap and walked up behind Loki, wrapping his arms around his waist and nuzzling into his neck.

"This smells delicious, my love, what is it?" Loki blushed, he was always either Loki or Brother, this term of endearment was new.

"U-Um, I believe Midgardians call them tacos, if you haven't noticed I have become a bit of a housewife since we had Rune, and I watch a lot of Rachel Ray." Thor didn't know who that was, but it didn't matter, he couldn't stop grinning at the housewife bit.

"I should indeed make you my housewife, once we have a dwelling of our own." He said with a flirtatious nip at the pale skin before him. Loki then took a spatula and spooned out meat into six soft tortilla shells, turning the stove off and wrapping his arms around Thor's neck.

"A dwelling all our own, hmm? Does this mean you don't wish to return to the palace?" Thor seemed to kind of turn his nose up at that idea, which surprised Loki.

"I like our life here. I want our son to rule Asgard, but we don't have to go back home until Odin passes away. Then the throne is technically mine, and I'll give it to Rune, assuming he is of age when father dies." Loki thought about this for a moment and smiled.

"Actually the throne was mine, it was stolen when I was pushed into an abyss." For once Loki's tone wasn't accusatory as he said this, a bright smile still upon his face and Thor rubbed their noses together.

"No, love, you fell into an abyss. There was no pushing involved." Loki didn't comment on that, not wanting an already intense afternoon to be wrought with argument.

"Since when do you call me love? This is new." Thor leaned his forehead against Loki's and played with a few strands of dark hair.

"Do you like it? I just wanted to show my affection for you more outwardly. You're my brother, but you're my lover, so why should I not address you as both?" Loki gave a small, almost bashful smile and leaned up for a quick kiss.

"Maybe." It was then that there was a knock on the door and any playfulness faded from Loki's expression. Thor kissed his forehead and gently caressed the side of his face,

"Don't worry, brother, you've been on your best behavior. They can't touch you." Loki threaded his fingers with Thor's nervously and walked to answer the door. Steve was there, looking a little disappointed, a beaming Bucky right behind him.

"May I come in?" Loki forced a smile and called out to Tony.

"Anthony, the spangled one is here, shall I let him in?" Tony laughed uneasily, both he and Natasha exchanging nervous looks.

"Sure thing, RG." Loki backed up, allowing Steve and Bucky room to enter.

"You heard the man." Steve and Bucky walked in and took seats on the couch next to Tony and Natasha, Loki almost instinctively hissing as Steve put his arms out as if to ask Rune if he wanted to be held. The baby whimpered and shied away, much to Loki's relief and Steve's frustration.

"Huh. Kids normally love me." Honestly it made Tony immensely happy as the small child clung to him, a smug smirk crossing his face at feeling more loved than Steve. Loki went back into the kitchen and brought everyone their tacos, praying that Steve and Bucky liked theirs and would be giving good news and gone soon. They all kind of ate in an awkward silence, Steve eventually becoming slightly irritated when Rune reached for Bucky but still refused to go to him, much to the amusement of everyone else.

"I don't understand why the kid hates me so much…" He pouted as Rune rejected him once more, curling into Bucky and hiding his little face in the long brunette hair of the soldier. Bucky chortled.

"Well you did threaten to turn in his mommy." He reminded his fiancé, who rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in there air.

"As if he knows that, and besides, you know I'm not going to." It was as if an enormous weight was lifted off of everyone immediately.

"Really?" Loki asked breathlessly , an almost grateful look in his eyes. Steve shrugged.

"I guess. No one is dead, and as far as Hawkeye could tell, whom I had watch you for a bit, you don't even really leave the tower so…I guess you're fine." Loki was a little creeped out by this, but didn't say so, too overwhelmed by relief.

"So we may confront the director now yes?" Thor asked excitedly, earning a deep frown from Steve.

"Well that will take much strategic planning, but sometime, yes." Thor, who hadn't eaten yet due to his initial nervousness and tore at it with a fork, then decided he could now eat. However, when he went to go microwave it, no one bothered to tell him you couldn't leave the fork on the plate. Loki and Natasha were discussing possible game plans when they heard a thunderous yell from Thor and the bang of an explosion. Loki had never moved faster in his entire life, knowing immediately what had happened.

"Brother, my darling, say something are you alright? THOR!" This all desperately flew from Loki's mouth as he raced into the kitchen, falling to his knees and cradling Thor's bloody body in his lap.

"No, no, this can't happen, not when we finally….Thor, baby, please, open your eyes. I need to know that you're okay." Thor's eyes did open, and he managed a smile at Loki.

"I'm okay, really, don't worry about me. Just a little…flesh wound, that's all. I bet I can walk." Loki shook his head, tears streaming down his face.

"Don't you dare you giant oaf, it's mainly your lower half that has taken the blow." Loki wept and petted Thor's hair, honestly terrified to death of loosing Thor. All the times he had thought about killing him, he realized now there was a reason he never did. He couldn't live without Thor.

"You're going to be okay, I can hear Anthony on the phone with an ambulance, you'll live. Darling you must, you are mine, do you hear me? You are mine and you are not allowed to die on me." Thor tried to tell him how happy it made him to hear that but he was slipping out of consciousness.

"Thor, stay with me. B-Brother…Brother!" Thor looked up at Loki, his eyes fighting not to roll to the back of his head for just another second.

"M-my love…" Was the last thing he said before he was not only unconscious, but not quite breathing. Loki began to shake, his world crumbling faster and faster every second. He quickly began CPR, not knowing what else to do. Thor was loosing a lot of blood, pieces of plastic and metal lodged into his legs and pelvic area...it in no way looked good for the God.

"Come on, breathe damn you!" He pounded on Thor's chest, in absolute hysteria, the others in the room just standing back and staring at the couple in utter shock. It was obvious that Loki blamed himself for not reminding Thor that metal in the microwave wasn't safe, Thor wasn't used to Midgard and he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box anyway. It was Loki's job to do things like that, Thor kept him safe as far as strength went and he kept Thor save from the other things, the common sense and intellectual things, things like this. He knew he'd failed him. It was over, if Thor died it was the end of the line for him. He would be a hollow shell, and he didn't want that for their child. It was his turn to save Thor's life for a change, and by the Gods it better work.


	8. On My Honor

(Sorry it's short, I hate angst)

Thor was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance and Loki never once left his side, the others staying behind to keep Rune. The beeps of the monitors were deafening, and Loki wanted to scream at all the stupid nurses who weren't getting the IV's in on the first go, or the damn doctor who wasn't coming to see him fast enough. Never in his very long life had he seen his brother look so frail and weak, and it was torturing Loki on a level he was unable to process.

"Sir, we're going to have to ask you to leave." Loki's blood boiled, turning menacingly to the small blonde nurse speaking to him with such nerve.

"Excuse me, I am his lo…brother. I am his little brother, you can't make me leave him." He corrected himself, knowing just saying lover wasn't enough to get to stay in ICU.

"I am sorry, sir, but your brother needs emergency surgery, you have to leave." Loki cursed under his breath, kissing Thor on his forehead, tears threatening to spill over.

"I'll be just outside." As soon as he left the room he screamed, kicking the side of the wall and then sliding down it, having a full fledged mental break down. This was his fault, he should have known that Thor wouldn't have known any better or thought anything of it, he was supposed to be the sensible brother. Besides, it was all his fault they weren't in Asgard anymore, he'd been the one all those years ago to initiate their relationship, by crawling in his bed and confessing his un-brotherly affection. He started the whole thing, and if he had just kept to himself none of this would have happened. It was his fault Thor risked his place as king to be with his little brother, his fault he lost said place, his fault they conceived. Everything was his fault.

"I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, though I do not deserve it." He whispered, his harsh sobs slowing down and his eyes beginning to close. Crying made him sleepy, and so much stress was weighing on him, it had been a long day.

Two hours passed and a nurse was shaking Loki awake, telling him the procedure was done and that Thor was now wake. Loki nearly kicked the hospital door in, an ache deep in his chest to see his thunder God. Thor beamed at Loki, still holding on to the last thing he remembered Loki saying to him.

"Brother!" Loki ran and flung his arms around Thor's neck, clinging to him for dear life.

"Oh thank Asgard you are alive! Don't you ever do that to me again, I thought I had lost you. Thor…darling…" He trailed off like there was something he wanted to say but couldn't, so Thor decided to fill in the blank.

"I'm yours." Loki only squeezed him tighter.

"Yes. You are mine, you are my beautiful little idiot and father of my child, don't you leave. You can't, we need you. I need you." Thor wrapped his arms around Loki, his heart swelling to a size he didn't know was possible and he nuzzled his brother.

"You don't know how happy it makes me to hear you say that. And believe me, love, I have no intension of ever leaving you. You're my baby brother and the love of my life. I intend to be by your side forever." Loki allowed himself a smile.

"You'd better." He teased, his smile faltering as a nervous looking doctor came in.

"We need to have a word, Mr. Odinson, is it all right that I talk to you in front of your brother?" Thor nodded instantly, looking almost offended at such a question.

"My brother is all I have, doctor, anything you have to say to me you can say to him." The doctor didn't look so sure as he watched Loki grip Thor's hand, fearing this particular brother was a little more invested than he should be, which he was absolutely right about.

"With the radiation from the microwave exploding so close to your pelvis…we aren't sure that you will ever be able to reproduce, sir. As of today you have no sperm count. You're sterile." There was a moment, just a moment, where no one seemed to breath and time itself stood still. The doctor could see the blood drain from both of their faces, and a certain sort of rage filled Loki's bright green eyes.

"Fix it. Fix it now! You're a doctor, I know you know how!" He shouted, fighting insanely hard to get oxygen in his lungs. The doctor shook his head.

"I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do. It may or may not be permanent." Loki practically lunged for the doctor, a sob ripping from his chest.

"Do not tell me that! It's not true, it can't be true!" Thor, who was already struggling to hold back tears himself, opened his arms wide.

"Come here, Loki, leave the man alone. This is my own fault, not his." Loki ran into Thor arms, his head buried into his chest as he wept.

"No, brother, this is my fault! All my fault!" Thor tangled his fingers in Loki's raven mane and shushed him gently.

"No my love, I want to hear none of that. It'll be alright…at least we had the opportunity to have a child before this happened, a healthy beautiful child. We have all we could want in the world." This made the doctor highly uncomfortable, but he decided to not ask questions and step out to give them some space.

Loki curled in the bed with Thor and the couple stayed like that for several hours, hearts broken and spirits dampened. It was a wound that wasn't going to be easily healed, especially for Loki, whom had just started allowing himself to believe they could be happy. He would want more kids in the future, he knew he would.

"Thor, darling, I am so-" Thor cut him off, grabbing him roughly by the shoulders.

"No. Don't you dare apologize to me! None of this is your fault, none. He said it may not be permananet, this is something we can live with my love. We can live with it for now." Loki sighed heavily.

"I know…I just….I feel like it's one thing after another with us. Like the world is never going to allow us happiness." Thor squeezed Loki gently and kissed the top of his head.

"We will be happy. We will live long happy lives with our son even if it kills me in the process. Everything will be fine, you'll see." Loki didn't have time to answer before there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Tony walked in carrying a little screaming bundle, a small smile on his face.

"Someone wanted their mommy and daddy, won't stop crying for anything." Loki's entire expression twisted from sadness to oozing affection in under ten seconds.

"Oh, Rune, come here my sweet." He cooed, holding out his arms. Rune quieted immediately, curling into Loki and holding a lock of his hair, which Loki had begun to notice he did as a security blanket. He kissed the top of his head.

"You like mommy's hair, don't you?" Thor laid a giant hand on Rune's head and smiled.

"We made something perfect." Loki nodded in agreement.

"We'll make another, I promise. It might be a few years, but I'll make it happen." Loki normally would have scoffed at this, but he wanted to believe it so bad that it was just easier to do exactly that.

"Promise?" I teased, a playful smile on his lips. Thor smiled back and kissed him softly, yet deeply.

"On my honor."


End file.
